An Unlikely Love
by TrishaTonks
Summary: Formerly "Tale of an Unlikely Love." When the death of a brother leaves Ginny in despair, her life considerably brightens when she catches the eye of a certain woman. When tragedy strikes again it will test the strength of the new relationship, and their love. GinnyTonks.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: You asked for it, and here it is! I'm revisiting what was formerly "A Tale of an Unlikely Love". I've gone back and rewritten each chapter, because I felt the characters and plot needed some reworking. I hope you enjoy!**

**As always, the rights to this world belong to the one and only JKR. **

* * *

Ginny had always been sure of herself. She never had to think about which path to take in life, or what to say or do. She just knew – but now, now she wasn't so sure.

Ginny had been tossing and turning in her sheets, as dreams plagued her sleep.

_Red hair flew past her, shouting a curse at the heavily lidded Bellatrix Lestrange, her maniacal laughter floating through the air. _

"_Silly boy! You are no match for me – stop now, and you can walk away."_

_The red haired boy ran, throwing a curse at the older witch. She narrowed her eyes and began aiming curse after curse at him. He dodged them skillfully, running fast and strong. _

_Bellatrix laughed as the boy stopped short, realizing that he had cornered himself between the broom shed and a tree he had no hope of climbing; a look of helplessness overtook him. He turned to look at his attacker, his eyes hardening. They began to shoot curses at each other, deflecting them with shield charms until it was clear the boy was tiring. They stared at each other for a moment before Bella raised her wand and began to utter the words to the killing curse, a green flash lighting the whole yard and –_

Ginny shot up, drenched in a cold sweat and panting. Glancing over at the clock on her bedside table, she saw it was only 3:30 in the morning. She sighed inwardly as she realized that today was the day she'd been dreading for the past week – Charlie's funeral. Laying back down, she stared at the ceiling. She knew that she should be feeling _something_. Sadness, guilt, anger, _anything_. Anything, but she only felt numb, empty. This emptiness had been with her since the battle at the Burrow, during Bill and Fleur's wedding… The day Charlie had been killed.

Knowing it was far too early to get up, Ginny flipped onto her side to try and get some more sleep – this time, preferably dreamless.

* * *

Ginny stared at the casket being lowered into the ground. Charlie had been her favorite brother. She knew it was unfair to pick favorites, but her other siblings didn't make it any easier not to. Charlie was calm and level headed, forgiving, and was always willing to lend an ear – no matter how trivial the problem. And now he was being buried deep into the ground, and Ginny still didn't feel anything. No tears, no sadness… nothing.

Her eyes swept across the yard, looking at the faces of her friends and family. Only a few feet away was her mother, sobbing uncontrollably on her father's shoulder, who was rubbing small circles on her back as his own tears ran down his cheeks. Hermione and Ron were grasping onto one another, Harry sitting with his head in his hands beside them. Luna sat next to him, whispering into his ear. Scattered among the crowd were various members of the Order. There was Kingsley, who had warned them of the attack only moments beforehand, sitting with Remus and Professor (now headmistress) McGonagall. Behind them sat Nymphadora Tonks, her hair it's natural, mousy state today. Ginny's eyes lingered on the woman for a moment, noticing the sadness etched on her face. Suddenly, Tonks' red-rimmed eyes glanced up, and locked with the younger girl's. Ginny maintained eye contact for a moment before tearing her eyes away, sighing gently. She stood up, and made her way back into the house. The yard, with all its mourners, was far too suffocating.

* * *

A few weeks after the funeral, Ginny stepped into the dusty kitchen of Number 12 Grimmwauld Place. The gloom seemed to have settled in every crevice of the room, coating each surface with darkness. Ginny had never liked it here, even when the house was fully inhabited. Her family had felt it was the safest place for Order Headquarters, though, so here she was – alone.

It was late, but she couldn't sleep. Thoughts of Charlie still plagued her mind and made sleep impossible, not that sleep would have been easy in this house anyway. Her parents had gone back to the Burrow for a few days, to collect some belongings before returning to Grimmwauld Place. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had left as soon as the funeral was over, and they hadn't been seen since. The rest of her family and the Order were out, busy with one plan or another. Occasionally someone would drop by the house, to grab a bite to eat and check on her, but those occasions were rare and far between. Being on her own for this long made her uneasy.

Ginny grabbed a glass of pumpkin juice from the fridge, and jumped onto the counter, her legs dangling as she sipped wearily. It was as if all of the feeling in her mind and body had slipped away, into some corner of her subconscious. Ginny had begun to doubt that she would ever be able to feel again. Closing her eyes, she tried to will some emotion, any emotion, to come forth, but to no avail.

With a sigh, Ginny plopped down from the counter and put her cup in the sink. She made her way upstairs, eager to find something to do, since sleep would not come. Passing the bathroom, she paused. The idea of a hot shower seemed appealing, despite the late hour. She went in, shed her clothes, and stepped into the scalding stream of water, letting the heat penetrate her cold skin. She closed her eyes, and thought about the events leading up to that moment. Dumbledore's death, Bill's face after Fenrir's attack, Fleur's miscarriage, the attack at the Burrow, Charlie's death – everything.

Before Ginny could react, she was on the shower floor, sobbing uncontrollably into her hands. The streaming water had gone cold, but she didn't move to turn it up. It was as if someone else had taken over her body. She was unable to move, unable to think. All she could do was cry.

* * *

Tonks entered the old house, carefully closing the door behind her. It was late, but Mrs. Weasley had asked her to check on Ginny today, and she had just gotten out of work. Quietly, Tonks made her way upstairs, heading toward Ginny's room. As she reached the landing, though, she heard the sounds of the shower, the water unable to mask the young girl's sobs.

The older witch pushed opened the bathroom door, and glanced at the girl inside. Ginny was on the shower floor crying, and shivering uncontrollably. Tonks stared, rooted in her spot. Ginny was no longer a little girl, trailing after Harry Potter. No, she was sixteen and all curves and legs and if Tonks were to admit it, beautiful. Wincing, Tonks scolded herself, shaking the emotions that had risen up inside her. Holding her breath, she walked over and scooped Ginny up in her arms, and took her back to her room.

* * *

Ginny didn't know how long she'd been on the shower floor, but she couldn't move or think. She didn't try to stop Tonks as she was lifted up and taken back to her room. The older woman had dried her off, and helped her into her underwear and a tee shirt. She laid the girl onto her bed, moving her hand soothingly up and down Ginny's arm whispering, _"it's all right" _and _"shh"_ until Ginny finally drifted into a fitful sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Ginny awoke slowly, her mind still foggy as she stretched and sat up in her bed. She rubbed her eyes, squinting as memories of the previous night floated across her mind. She wasn't sure if she felt embarrassed by her actions or not – she was grateful that she had finally broken down, but it wasn't something she felt anybody else had to witness, least of all Tonks. _Tonks_. Ginny smiled as her arm tingled where the older witch had touched her. It was rare for anybody to pay her much attention, but in that moment she felt special, like she was the only person who mattered to Tonks. A warm feeling pooled deep in her belly, something she usually only associated with Harry. She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed.

Ginny swung her legs over the side of her bed, and sat there for a while in silence. Judging by the amount of sunlight in her room, she deemed it to be late morning. She knew she should get up, but considering there wasn't much to do, she didn't see the point. Eventually a low rumbling from her stomach forced her to get up, though, and make her way downstairs.

When she entered the kitchen she was surprised to see Tonks sitting there, book in hand. She looked up and smiled at Ginny.

"Wotcher, Gin. Did you sleep alright?"

Ginny shrugged, hoisting herself up onto the counter. Tonks smiled and stood up.

"You hungry? I wanted to wait for you before I made breakfast."

"Sure," Ginny answered, a small smile on her face. "I'll help."

The two started preparing their small meal, scrambling some eggs and pouring juice. They settled at the table and ate in a comfortable silence, Ginny happy that she didn't have to eat alone for once. When they had finished, Tonks looked at the girl before talking.

"So, want to tell me what happened?"

Ginny paused, scraping her fork against her plate. Eventually, she looked up and shrugged.

"I think that's what they call 'grieving'."

Tonks laughed, and stood up to clear their plates.

"Gin, if you need anything – ever – don't hesitate to talk to me, okay? Friends help each other out, even when they're at their lowest."

Ginny nodded, and Tonks went over and caught her in an embrace. They stayed like that for a while, Ginny smiling into Tonks' shoulder, before eventually letting go.

"I've got to head to work, but I'll come back soon, okay?"

Ginny nodded and thanked the older girl before heading back up to her room, a grin fixed on her face.

* * *

Over the next couple weeks, Grimmwauld Place seemed to come back to life. True to Tonks' word, Ginny's parents returned, and with them came a hoard of Order members. More often than not dinners were spent piled in the dining room, people floating in and out. Ginny was happy about this, but couldn't help feeling disappointed that Tonks hadn't shown up yet.

The purple-haired witch seemed to constantly be on Ginny's mind, but it didn't bother the young girl much. It gave her something to think about when things were slow at Headquarters, and she enjoyed the fluttering she felt whenever she imagined her face. She didn't expect anything more to come from their friendship, and although she knew her feelings ran deep, she was content with their current situation. Besides, she didn't want to risk the friendship they'd already developed.

Even though she was happy being friends, Ginny couldn't help feeling excited and nervous when she found out Tonks would be at Headquarters that evening. She carefully picked out her outfit – low rise blue jeans and a simple, fitted, black tee shirt. She even put on a touch of make up, just a little eyeliner to highlight her golden eyes. After quickly braiding her hair, she went downstairs to the kitchen. Ginny's eyes swept the room, her face falling when she realized that Tonks wasn't there. Lost in thought, she sat at one end of the table, playing with her fork while she waited for dinner to come out.

"Wotcher, Ginny!" Tonks smiled, causing Ginny to jump. Tonks laughed.

"Sorry to startle you!"

"Yeah, yeah," Ginny said, playfully pushing the other girl's arm. "What have you been up to?"

"Well, I've been in the kitchen helping your mum, but she shooed me out after I broke a third plate."

Ginny laughed, leaning in to fold her arms on the table. Tonks looked at the girl, noticing how happy she looked compared to the last time she saw her. Her smile was wide and eyes bright, her fiery hair in a braid over one shoulder. Tonks even noticed that she was wearing make up, something a bit unusual for her. Like herself, Ginny rarely wore any makeup.

"I applaud you for taking the time to look decent," Tonks said. "I can't be bothered with makeup, not unless I'm trying to impress someone."

Ginny laughed, but there was something in her expression that let Tonks know she may have hit a mark.

"Who is it?" Tonks asked, leaning forward like Ginny. "Come on, you have to tell me! Please?"

Her pouting lips caused Ginny to laugh, but she still shook her head. Tonks was about to retort when Molly walked into the room, along with a large tray of food.

"After dinner, Gin – I'm getting it out of you!"

With that, everyone tucked in for another night of Mrs. Weasley's famous cooking.

* * *

When dinner was over, Tonks and Ginny went upstairs and into her room. Ginny flopped herself onto her bed, the milky flesh of her stomach slightly exposed. Tonks admired the view for a moment before coming to sit cross-legged at the end of her bed, her chin resting in her hands.

"So… come on, tell me!" Tonks pouted, batting her eyelashes at the young girl. "It's got to be someone here, yeah? I know I'm right!"

Ginny rolled her eyes and sat up, neither confirming nor denying the statement. Tonks took that as a victory, and continued.

"Please, please, please tell me? Maybe I can help set you up! It'll be fun!"

By this point, Tonks was practically bouncing on the bed in excitement. Ginny couldn't help but smile, and then in what she would later claim as a moment of insanity, leaned over and kissed the older witch.

For a moment they lingered there, Ginny enjoying the feel of Tonks' soft lips against her own. Then Tonks broke away and stood up, a confused expression on her face.

"I've… I have to go."


	3. Chapter 3

The next couple days passed by slowly, with Ginny confining herself to her room. While she wasn't ashamed of her feelings for Tonks, she was embarrassed and hurt by Tonks' reaction. The older woman had left without saying much, and hadn't been in contact since. Ginny figured she was disgusted by what happened, or hurt that Ginny would betray her trust and friendship.

Ginny lay sprawled on her bed, wearing a sweatshirt and the same pair of athletic shorts she had worn to bed the night before. She was simply staring at the ceiling when someone knocked on her door.

"Come in," Ginny yelled, not bothering to move. The only person who had come up to find her at all in the past few days was her mother anyway.

"Wotcher, Gin," a small voice said.

Ginny looked up at Tonks, who stayed in the doorway for a moment, hesitating before entering. Ginny pulled herself up, and rested her back against the wall behind her.

Tonks moved over to the bed and sat down next to Ginny, resting her back against the wall in a similar fashion. Without looking at her, Tonks gently took Ginny's hand, interlacing their fingers.

"Ginny, I don't want you to think that I don't like you, because I do. The feelings are there, they're mutual, but… I don't think it's a good idea to pursue anything."

Ginny's head snapped up and watched the other witch carefully.

"It's just… I'm older, for one, by five years. You're still in school, and I'm out working a demanding job, a dangerous job. And with everything going on outside, we could both become targets… It wouldn't be safe. And besides," Tonks said, a sad smile on her face, "what would your mother say?"

Tonks felt a small, warm hand against her cheek. Slowly, Ginny pressed a kiss onto Tonks, followed by another, and another. Tonks' arm slipped around Ginny's waist, hoisting her onto her lap. They stayed like that for a while, stealing kisses, until Ginny broke apart.

"Those things, they aren't important," she said, resting her forehead against Tonks'.

Tonks nodded and pulled the girl closer, fully aware that she didn't have the willpower to let go.

* * *

**A/N: A short chapter, but there's more to come. Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

After Tonks left, Ginny sat there and hugged her knees, a grin plastered on her face. She touched her lips, as if she could still feel Tonks' lips there, soft and sweet and _hers_. She let out a giggle, just as George walked by her open door.

"What are you so happy about?" he asked, leaning against her doorframe.

Before he could even blink, Ginny wiped all the emotion from her face and raised an eyebrow.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, standing up. She strode past him out of the room, leaving him shaking his head after her.

* * *

The next week dragged by slowly for Ginny. With Harry, Ron, and Hermione gone, she was the only one left to help her mother around the old house – and it seemed as though her mum never ran out of things to clean. They had tackled the drawing room first, which took two days on it's own. After that they cleaned the white parlor, the blue parlor, and the yellow parlor. Ginny didn't understand why one house needed three parlors, and she especially didn't understand why each one needed to be cleaned. The Weasley's day-to-day activities were mainly contained to the bedrooms, dining room and kitchen, sitting room, and bathrooms.

Nevertheless, the week came to an end and the never-ending parlors became a distant memory to Ginny. It was a Friday night and she had the entire weekend to look forward to, free of chores. She had just settled into her favorite chair in the sitting room, a new book on her lap, when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Wotcher, Gin," Tonks said, eliciting a smile from the younger witch.

Tonks walked into the room and sat on the arm of Ginny's chair, plucking the book from her hands.

"You're _reading_? On a Friday night?" she asked, her face scrunched in distaste.

"Hey!" Ginny retorted, hand on her hip, "I happen to _like_ reading."

"Yeah, yeah," Tonks laughed. "I have a better idea – want to come spend the weekend at my place?"

Ginny looked up at the other witch, who was rolling her lower lip between her teeth.

"You think my mum would let me?" she asked, excitement building in her stomach. Tonks smiled.

"I know so – I already asked."

"Be right back!" Ginny exclaimed, and bolted out of the room before Tonks could say another word.

* * *

In her room, Ginny's heart was going a mile a minute. She quickly began to put together an overnight bag

_Extra clothes, brush, tee shirt, pajama shorts or pants? Shorts, definitely shorts. Toothbrush, toothpaste, knickers… _

Ginny paused, torn between her comfy boyshorts or the lacy knickers.

_Oh, fuck it – I'll bring both._

From downstairs, Ginny heard Tonks calling her name.

"Just a minute, I'll be right down!" she yelled, rummaging through her dresser. She shed her clothes, quickly stepping into some black lace knickers and a pair of black jeans. She stopped to debate on a top, and picked a simple sleeveless, gray button up. The lack of color in her outfit made her hair seem even brighter than usual.

Grabbing her bag and smoothing her shirt one last time, she ran down the stairs, skidding to a stop before entering the kitchen, where Tonks was chatting with her mother.

"Ready to go?" Tonks asked, as Ginny entered the room.

"You bet!" she answered, and quickly hugged her mother before leaving Grimmwauld Place for the first time in weeks.

* * *

After they rounded the corner, Tonks slipped her hand into Ginny's, and pulled her into an alleyway. She slithered her arms around her waist, and kissed her deeply.

"I missed you," Tonks whispered.

"I can tell," Ginny said coyly, a sparkle in her eye. Tonks laughed and gave her a playful shove.

"So, what's the plan?" Ginny asked, resting her arms around Tonks' neck.

"Well," Tonks started, her lips curving up into a smile. "I was thinking maybe we could go out. You'll see, trust me."

Tonks held out a hand, which Ginny grasped. They apparated into a similar looking alleyway, but in what was clearly a different part of the city.

"Just one second," Tonks whispered, scrunching her face. Before Ginny's eyes Tonks' hair grew longer, changing from purple to blonde. She gave herself blue eyes and full, pink lips.

They exited the alleyway, and approached a busy looking building. Tonks, head held high and eyes forward, ignored the line that had formed in front of the building and walked straight to the door, where a large man stood blocking the entrance. He glanced at them, and they were let in no questions asked. Ginny had the feeling that the guard knew Tonks – or whoever Tonks had morphed into. Tonks seemed to be reading her mind.

"There are a lot of famous people in the muggle world – and they all seem to get some serious perks," she said, quickly pulling Ginny toward the rest room. Once inside, Tonks quickly changed her features back to normal, purple hair and all.

"Come on, I'll go get us drinks."

Ginny followed Tonks as she snaked through the crowd, this time observing the room around her. The club was packed with muggles, many of them dancing and nearly all of them drinking. The room was dark, and the music so loud it seemed to pulse the air around her. The energy in the room made Ginny's pulse quicken, her whole body alive and tingling.

Tonks approached, pulling Ginny from her reverie. She handed her a glass bottle, frosty and filled with a golden liquid.

"It's a bit stronger than butter beer, I'll admit, but you only live once," Tonks said, shrugging.

Ginny looked cautiously at the drink, and took a sniff before choking down a sip. It didn't smell like butter beer, and it certainly didn't _taste_ like butter beer either. She shrugged, and Tonks grabbed her hand, pulling her onto the dance floor.

They began to move to the music, the bass booming beneath their feet. She pressed closer into Tonks, who slipped her arms around Ginny's waist. They spent the next few hours like this – dancing and sweating and drinking – before heading back to Tonks' flat. They had decided to walk, because drinking and apparating never ended well.

The walk wasn't long, only about ten minutes. The air was cool, a relief for the city in mid-July. Everywhere Ginny looked there were lights; it was like the entire world was alive and moving around them. Sometimes she forgot that there was life outside of Grimmwauld Place, the Burrow, and Hogwarts. There was more than the sleepy countryside, or the ever-growing gloom of the wizard world. All around her the world was spinning on, and Ginny would not be left behind.

* * *

The two girls reached the flat, and Tonks tapped the door once with her wand to unlock it. She led Ginny inside, lighting their way as she went. Once in the living room, they collapsed on the couch, their bodies tired from the dancing.

Ginny curled up beside Tonks, and laid her head against her shoulder. She grabbed her hand, interlacing their fingers. Tonks smiled, and pressed a small kiss onto Ginny's lips, who responded in kind. Tonks lifted Ginny on top of her, her legs straddling the older girl. She deepened the kiss, her hands roaming up and down her back. Tonks felt Ginny's fingers in her hair, and pressed herself closer to her. Slowly she moved the kiss down Ginny's neck, nipping here and there as she went. Ginny threw her head back, a small mewling sound escaping from her mouth. Tonks looked up and smiled, then scooped up the small girl.

"Let's move this somewhere more comfortable."

* * *

Tonks and Ginny lay there slick with sweat, bodies intertwined. Still breathing heavy, Ginny pressed a small kiss into Tonks' shoulder, and pulled a sheet on top of them. She snuggled closer to her, and slowly began to drift off in Tonks' arms.

For the moment, everything was right in the world.


End file.
